Funding for established school partnerships
The Department for International Development is undertaking a review of its development awareness work. Consequently, no new GSP awards will be made until further notice. This means that whilst applications can still be made, no new awards will be granted until the review has been completed.
1. What is a global curriculum project grant?
Global curriculum project grants enable well established partnerships to further develop joint curricular activities with a global dimension theme.
The funding helps cover travel costs of at least two teachers from each school to visit the partner school as well as project costs such as materials, training and supply cover. Equal numbers of staff must travel from each partner school.
The grant must be split between the partner schools to enable one visit to each school during each funding period. The visits are for teachers to develop joint activities which will help embed a global dimension in the mainstream curriculum of all schools in the partnership.
If any school in the partnership is receiving another grant from British Council (for example through Connecting Classrooms, Africa Dreams and Teams or UKIERI programmes), please contact your Regional co-ordinator with regard to specific eligibility.
The grant is renewable annually for up to three years. This means that your school can complete a global curriculum project renewal form each year to secure the same level of funding for Years 2 and 3. Secondary schools can also apply for student mobility for these years.
2. Who can apply?
Global curriculum project grants are for well established partnerships that are using their partnership to embed a global dimension in the curriculum. Successful applications are usually from schools that have been working together for at least two years.
Please check the list of eligible countries.
Partnerships between pre-schools, primary schools, middle schools, secondary schools, special schools and sixth form colleges can all apply.
International schools in southern countries are not eligible.
3. Can we apply as a group of schools?
Schools can apply on a school-to-school basis or as part of a larger cluster of schools. Cluster-to-cluster partnerships should have equal numbers of schools in each country. There is no limit on the size of a cluster, but there is a limit to the amount of money a cluster partnership can apply for (see question below).
4. How much money can we apply for?
School-to-school partnerships can apply for up to £6,200
If two schools in each country are working together (four schools in total) the maximum you can apply for is £12,400.
If three schools in each country working together (six schools in total) the maximum you can apply for is £18,600.
If more than six schools are working together the maximum you can apply for is still £18,600.
5. Is funding available for students?
In years 2 and 3 of the grant up to £6,800 may be available for students of secondary-age to participate in visits. This is intended to cover a maximum of four students from each partner school.
6. How do we apply?
Partner schools should work together to complete the grant application form. It can take some time to complete the application form and to gather all the relevant documents, so please make sure you allow plenty of time.
Completed grant application forms will be completed online. A hard copy including the original signatures of the head teachers of all partner schools should be submitted by the UK school to our team in Manchester.
7. When should we apply and what are the travel dates?
There is currently no open grant round for the Global Curriculum Project grant. The application deadline for 1 March 2011 is for travel between 30 May 2011 and 30 August 2012. Unfortunately applications for retrospective funding cannot be accepted.
8. Can we get any support with our application?
If you are applying for the global curriculum project grant, we run the following to help with your application:
1. Grant preparation seminars
2. Grant Twilight sessions
3. Online application seminars
Each one is designed to help with your application but please read carefully the benefits of attending each one to see which best suits your requirements.
Our regional co-ordinators are also available to provide support and advice for your application.
You can also submit a draft application for feedback to dgspgrants@britishcouncil.org before 14 January 2011.
Before planning your visit we strongly advise all teachers to visit the UK government's Foreign and Commonwealth Travel Advice website for up-to-date travel information and to read the Travel Safe guide published jointly by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Lonely Planet.
9. We've submitted our application, what happens next?
Once you've sent your application to the team in Manchester, if it is complete then you will receive an acknowledgement letter from the team. We will always send letters and emails to the UK co-ordinating school so if you are working in a cluster, make sure you know who this is.
If your application is missing any essential information, a member of the team will contact the UK main contact to request the missing information.
Your application will then be put forward to be assessed by an independent panel made up of representatives from DFID, development education experts and other education professionals.
Once all the applications have been assessed we will write to schools with the result. We write to all partnerships regardless of the outcome of your application, and will send the letter to the UK co-ordinating school. This letter contains a lot of important information, including tailored feedback on your application, so make sure you read it carefully and that all schools are kept informed.
10. How and when will the grant be paid?
Once we have received the signed contract we can process the payment. All payments will be paid into the bank account of the UK co-ordinating school. It is their responsibility to ensure that the money is distributed according to the grant guidelines and to keep financial records. It can take up to three months after the application deadline for the money to reach by the UK co-ordinating school's bank account so please keep this in mind when planning visits.
Grants are paid in two instalments; 80% on signing of the contract and 20% on submission of a suitable final report form the following year.
11. How do we renew our global curriculum project grant?
You will need to submit a renewal application by 1 April 2011.
As part of this application, you can also apply for student mobility funding (secondary schools only) which is £3,200 for 2010.
For Years 2 and 3 global curriculum project grants, you are also required to complete a global curriculum project final year report and submit by 1 September (immediately after your funding period).
12. When do we need to complete our first global curriculum project report?
Your global curriculum project year 1 report is due 1 September. This is also the closing date for schools completing their Year 2 and 3 reports.